, 1887-06-26

AGAIN ON HIS MUSCLE.
MIR. Sparks Method of Reclaim
ing Desert Land.
Fifty-fve Entries Now Ready
for Cancellation.
They Embrace $4,000 Acres
in Wyoming.
Charges of Big Fraud Against
Local Companies.
Desert Entries Cancelled.

SoASCA4CN
WASHINGTON, June 25.-Commission-
er Sparks to-day took the necessary steps
to cancel fifty five desert land entries in
Wyoming Territory, aggiegrsting in area
about IS 900 acres. The commissioner in
his letter to the register and receiver at
Cheyenne states that final proof in all of
these cases is substantially the same. and
is to the effect hat by means of bitches
already constructed an ample supply OF
water is at hand to properly irrigate the
lands; that claimants own the right to the
water thus secured, and have never part
ed with their interest in the land thus re-
claimed and have never agreed to do 30.
A special agent of the general land Office,
upon investigation, reports the following:
TIL AGENTS REPORT.
Upon the majority of entries no
bitches that would carry water have ever
been constructed, while u few bitches that
have actually been constructed have never
been utilized. A survey of one large and
several lateral bitches was made, and a
piow turrow made in many
places to show the line of surveys,
but no actual bona tde ditching was
ever done by claimants nor by anyone for
them. All ditching that was done was OF
the most shadowy nature and was not
substan TALLY useful nor intended to be so.
WAS THE LAND RECLAIMED?
This land has not been reclaimed nor
irrigated to the slightest degree in any
one OF the fifty five cases enumerated and
WAS, at the date of the investigation, in
the condition it was at the time the entry
WAS made. The Goshen Hole Ditching
company and the Union Cattle
are kindred corporations doing business in
the territory OF Wyoming, and the officers
of the latter are also officers of the former.
The ditching company had in hand for
itself and the cattle company the con-
struction OF a system of bitches with which
to irrigate these entries, but at only one
point along the whole line of thirty-6ve or
iorty miles has the ditch ever been con.
structed SO as to be able to carry water.
and even here it has not been utilized.
ALLEGED CHARACTER OF THE bitches.
At many points where cuts of from four
to eight feet were required by survey, q
cut of only one foot is made, and where
hills are required one are found. The
surface line of the ditch presents the
oo"S bNhSiHi oIpCdihuCC, IudI 10, Out lDOI
cut throughout its entire length. Again,
where the ground Is rocky no attempt was
made beyond a simple pillow furrow to
mark the line OF the intended ditch
Where fumes were required to span guI
lies and Eulches, no fumes are to be
found. 1t is evident from the nature and
character of the work done that these
skeleton bitches were made solely for the
purpose OF proving up. What was done
was done at the instance of Thomas Stur.
gis, president of the Goshen Hole Ditch
ing company, and an officer OF the Union
Cattle company. At the dates of the
hnal proof 1t was known by Sturgis that
the bitches, so called. were not capable of
carrying water on to the land.
While each entry stands alone on the
books there is connection between them
all, and it lies in the fact that each was
made in the interest of one of the two
companies named or of some of the off
GERS or members thereof.
ENTRYMEN YRoM ABROAD.
Of fifty five entrymen seven live in
New York and eleven in Massachusetts.
Inspector Bowers went to New York,
New Jersey and Massachusetts, and inter
viewed a number of these entrymen.
The information gained shows that
Sturgis procured the making OF entries
These foreign entrymen made the entries
merely to oblige a friend. and never con.
sidered they actually had any interest in
the lands, nor have they ever had any in
dividual water rights. They signed the
papers. but they did not examiue or know
the purport of them, simply because by
so doing they could serve a friend, and
not one OF them ever anticipated any re-
enumeration for 80 doing"